The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-09-22

iren, and then she told us how kind we
must be to our father in his loneliness,
and then she kissed us good-by and went
asleep as a child in cradle"
What made her so composed? Natural
"No," you say, smother was very nerv-
GUS; when the carriage inclined to the side
of the road she would cry out; she was al
ways rather weakly"
What, then, gave her composure? Was
it because she did not care much for you,
and the pangs of parting were not greats
"Oh," you say, "she showered upon US
a wealth of affection; no mother ever
us; she showed it by the way she nursed
US when we were sick, and she toiled for
us until her strength gave out"
What, then, was it that gave her COM
posure in the last hour? Do not hide it.
Be frank and let me know.
"Oh," you say, it was because she was
so good she made the Lord her portion,
and she had faith that she would go
straight to glory and that we should all
meet her at last at the foot of the throne"
Here are people who say: 81 saw
Christian brother die, and he triumphed."
And some one else: 81 saw a Christian
sister die. and she triumphed."
Some one else will say: 81 saw Chris
tian daughter die, and she triumphed."
Come, all we who have seen the last mo-
ments of Christian, and give testimony
in this cause on trial. Uncover your
heads, put your hand on the old family
Bible, from which they used to read
the promises, and promise in the presence
of high Heaven that You will tell
the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth. With what you
have seen with your own eyes, and from
what you have heard with your own ears,
is there power in this Gospel to give calm
ness and triumph in the last exigency?
The response comes from all sides, from
young and old, and middle-aged:
We are witnesses.
You see, my friends, have not put be-
fore you an abstraction, or chimera, or
any thing like guess work. Ipresent you
affidavits of the best men and women, liv-
ing or dead. Two witnesses in court will
establish fact. Here are not two wit
nesses, but thousands of witnesses-on
earth millions of witnesses, and in Heaven
great multitude of witnesses that no
man can number, testifying that there is
power in this religion to convert the soul,
to give comfort in trouble and to afford
composure in the last hour.
If ten men should come to you when you
are sick with appalling sickness, and say
| they had the same sickness, and took a
| certain medicine and it cured them, you
| would probably take it. Now suppose ten
other men should come up and say:
"We don't believe there is any thing in
| that medicine"
"Well,"I say have you ever tried it,"
"No. I never tried it, but don't believe
there is any thing in it.''
OF course you dscredit their testimony,
The skeptic may come and say:
| "There is no power in your religion"
"Have you ever tried it,"
"No, no."
"Then, avauntw
Let me take the testimony of the million:
of souls that have been converted to God
and comforted in trial, and solaced in thu
last hour. We will take their testimony
as they cry:
We are wltnessest
Some time ago Prof. Henry, of Washing
ton, discovered new star, and the tiding
spread by submarine telegram, and all tn
observatories of Europe were watching TO
that new star. Oh, hearer, looking on
through the darkness of thy soul, cans
thou see bright light beaming on thee?
"Where?" you say, "where? How can
find it?"
Look along by the line of the cross of tn
Son of God. Do you not see him tremblin
with all tenderness and beaming with a.
hope? 1t is the Star of Bethlehem.
Deep horror then my vtals froze.
Death-struck. ceased the tide to stem,
When suddenly star arose
1t was the Star of Bethlehem.
Oh, hearer, get your eye on it. 1t
easier for you now to become Christian
than it is to stay away from Christ an
Heaven. When Mime. Sontag began he
musical career she was Kissed of the stag
at Vienna by the friends of her riva
Amelia Steininger, who had already b,
gun to decline through her dissipation
Years passed on, and one day Nine. So1
tag, in her glory, was riding through tn
streets of Berlin, when she saw littl
child leading blind woman, and sh
said:
"Come here, my little child, come her
Who is that you are leading by the hand?
! And the little child replied:
! "That's my mother; chats Amelia Steil
niger. She used to be great singer, bl
she lost her voice, and she cried so muc
. !. about it that she lost her eyesight."
"Give my love to her," said Mime. So1
tag, "and tell her an old acquaintance wi
call on her this afternoon"
! The next week in Berlin vast Assem-
, blage gathered at benefit for that POI
, blind woman, and it was said that MN
Sontag sang that night as she hs
. never sung before. And she took
skilled oculist, who in vain tried
give eyesight to the poor blir
!, woman. Until the day of Amelia Steil
. inger's death, Mime. Sontag took care
her, and her daughter after her. TIL
was what the queen of song did forh
enemy.
But, oh, hear more thrilling story sti
Blind, immortal, poor and lost, thou VIII
: when the world and Christ were rivals f
J thy heart, didst hiss thy Lord away
: Christ comes now to give thee sight,
give thee a home, to give thee Heave
With more than Sontag's generosity
comes now to meet your need. With mo
= than Sontag's music he comes to ples
for thy deliverance.
\